EP1886369B1 - Kompakte festoxidbrennstoffzellenvorrichtung - Google Patents

Kompakte festoxidbrennstoffzellenvorrichtung Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1886369B1
EP1886369B1 EP06758699.0A EP06758699A EP1886369B1 EP 1886369 B1 EP1886369 B1 EP 1886369B1 EP 06758699 A EP06758699 A EP 06758699A EP 1886369 B1 EP1886369 B1 EP 1886369B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
fuel cell
housing
fuel
tail gas
gas burner
Prior art date
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Not-in-force
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EP06758699.0A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP1886369A2 (de
Inventor
Samuel B. Schaevitz
Aleksander Franz
Roger W. Barton
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Lilliputian Systems Inc
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Lilliputian Systems Inc
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
    • H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
    • H01M8/04007—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids related to heat exchange
    • H01M8/04067—Heat exchange or temperature measuring elements, thermal insulation, e.g. heat pipes, heat pumps, fins
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
    • H01M8/24—Grouping of fuel cells, e.g. stacking of fuel cells
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
    • H01M8/06—Combination of fuel cells with means for production of reactants or for treatment of residues
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
    • H01M8/06—Combination of fuel cells with means for production of reactants or for treatment of residues
    • H01M8/0606—Combination of fuel cells with means for production of reactants or for treatment of residues with means for production of gaseous reactants
    • H01M8/0612—Combination of fuel cells with means for production of reactants or for treatment of residues with means for production of gaseous reactants from carbon-containing material
    • H01M8/0625—Combination of fuel cells with means for production of reactants or for treatment of residues with means for production of gaseous reactants from carbon-containing material in a modular combined reactor/fuel cell structure
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
    • H01M8/10—Fuel cells with solid electrolytes
    • H01M8/12—Fuel cells with solid electrolytes operating at high temperature, e.g. with stabilised ZrO2 electrolyte
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
    • H01M8/10—Fuel cells with solid electrolytes
    • H01M8/12—Fuel cells with solid electrolytes operating at high temperature, e.g. with stabilised ZrO2 electrolyte
    • H01M8/1286—Fuel cells applied on a support, e.g. miniature fuel cells deposited on silica supports
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
    • H01M8/24—Grouping of fuel cells, e.g. stacking of fuel cells
    • H01M8/241—Grouping of fuel cells, e.g. stacking of fuel cells with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes
    • H01M8/2425—High-temperature cells with solid electrolytes
    • H01M8/2432—Grouping of unit cells of planar configuration
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
    • H01M8/24—Grouping of fuel cells, e.g. stacking of fuel cells
    • H01M8/2465—Details of groupings of fuel cells
    • H01M8/247—Arrangements for tightening a stack, for accommodation of a stack in a tank or for assembling different tanks
    • H01M8/2475—Enclosures, casings or containers of fuel cell stacks
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
    • H01M8/10—Fuel cells with solid electrolytes
    • H01M8/12—Fuel cells with solid electrolytes operating at high temperature, e.g. with stabilised ZrO2 electrolyte
    • H01M2008/1293—Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M2250/00—Fuel cells for particular applications; Specific features of fuel cell system
    • H01M2250/30—Fuel cells in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
    • H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
    • H01M8/04007—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids related to heat exchange
    • H01M8/04014—Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants
    • H01M8/04022—Heating by combustion
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
    • H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
    • H01M8/04007—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids related to heat exchange
    • H01M8/04052—Storage of heat in the fuel cell system
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
    • H01M8/04—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
    • H01M8/04007—Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids related to heat exchange
    • H01M8/04067—Heat exchange or temperature measuring elements, thermal insulation, e.g. heat pipes, heat pumps, fins
    • H01M8/04074—Heat exchange unit structures specially adapted for fuel cell
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
    • Y02B90/00—Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
    • Y02B90/10—Applications of fuel cells in buildings
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
    • Y02E60/30—Hydrogen technology
    • Y02E60/50—Fuel cells

Definitions

  • the invention relates to apparatus and methods that improve fuel cell efficiency.
  • the invention relates to fuel cells adapted for improving energy balance by integrating multiple fuel cell components in an isothermal zone.
  • SOFCs solid-oxide-fuel cells
  • ceramic membranes instead of polymer membranes.
  • SOFCs solid-oxide-fuel cells
  • a solid-oxide fuel cell can utilize energy dense liquid fuels and still achieve suitable energy conversion efficiencies.
  • solid-oxide fuel cells require membrane and catalytic operation at temperatures in excess of 600°C, often in excess of 750°C. Consequently, designers of solid-oxide fuel cells for portable power applications must protect the end user from the extreme heat without adding excessively to the size of the overall system. Additionally, a present day solid-oxide fuel cell operating at 800°C can easily radiate or transmit ten times more energy to the environment as waste heat than the electrical energy delivered to the user. Such a system cannot be more than 10% efficient, i.e., the system uses more than 90% of the fuel energy for the sole purpose of maintaining the reactor's 800°C operating temperature. Therefore, with such low efficiency, it is unlikely for current solid-oxide fuel cells to compete with batteries.
  • Solid-oxide fuel cell generator without insulation, rarely exceeds 0.35 watts per cubic centimeter (W/cc).
  • W/cc watts per cubic centimeter
  • a fuel cell would be of great value for powering portable electronics, whose functions today are often limited by the energy capacity of batteries.
  • EP 0355420 discloses an apparatus comprising a housing, the housing integrating: a fuel cell and a tail gas burner in thermal communication with the fuel cell, an insulating volume disposed adjacent to an exterior of the housing, an outer wall containing the housing and the insulating volume, wherein the housing defines a substantially isothermal zone.
  • the present invention provides an apparatus according to the characterising portion of claim 1.
  • fuel cell apparatus and “fuel cell systems” refer to an apparatus or device that can contain some or all of the following components: a fuel reformer, a tail gas burner, anode/electrolyte/cathode elements, pumps, and controls.
  • fuel cell refers to the anode/electrolyte/cathode membrane structure.
  • power density refers to a ratio of the power generated in a given volume and as otherwise understood in the fuel cell art.
  • the fuel cell apparatus embodiments described herein can produce electrical power in excess of 2 W/cc and in excess of 3 W/cc.
  • Such fuel cell apparatus are uniquely capable of producing insulated package sizes small enough for portable application, even though the power ratings are below 100 watts, below 20 watts, or below 5 watts.
  • existing fuel cell designs only generate power densities typically below 0.5 W/cc. As a result, the low power density fuel cells are too large and not efficient enough for many applications such as, for example, consumer battery substitutes.
  • the power density depends primarily upon the design of the integrated fuel cell apparatus and the individual fuel cell or fuel cell stack (plurality of individual fuel cells).
  • the level of proximal integration of the various fuel cell apparatus components within the housing is an important design factor.
  • fuel cell apparatus efficiency can be a function of how close the various fuel cell membranes can be placed subject to the constraints of mechanical strength and fluid routing.
  • Many of the aspects and embodiments described herein relate to component integration within one thermal region and related techniques to control thermal losses.
  • the use of semiconductor structures in many of the embodiments disclosed herein enables the small sizes and high energy densities that allow for fuel cell apparatus that can compete with various battery types.
  • Figure 1 shows one example of a fuel cell apparatus 5, in cross-sectional view.
  • Figure 1 illustrates a fuel reformer 10, a pair of solid oxide fuel cell membranes 14 and 16, and a tail gas burner 12 all contained within a single housing 18.
  • the housing is made of a thermally conductive material such that all of the components within the housing can operate at substantially the same temperature. Thus, the housing facilitates the formation of a zone that is substantially isothermal.
  • the housing 18 in Figure 1 includes within it all of the flow routing means for distributing fuel and air to the fuel cell(s).
  • the fuel stream 20 passes out of the fuel reformer 10, along the anode side of the first fuel cell 16.
  • the fuel stream 20' then passes along the anode side 22 of the second fuel cell 14 and finally into the tail gas burner 12.
  • the air stream 26 passes (by means of internal routing channels not shown) along the cathode side 24 of the fuel cells 14, 16 and culminates into the tail gas burner 12 where the excess air is available for the combustion of unused exhausted fuel. (The air entrance to the tail gas burner does not appear in Figure 1 .)
  • an insulating volume 28 which separates the housing 18 from an outer wall 30 of the apparatus 5.
  • the outer wall is substantially maintained at a temperature that is at or near the ambient temperature of the electrical device powered by the fuel cell apparatus.
  • the temperature within the housing should be greater than 400°C, with better operating efficiencies obtained if the temperature is maintained in excess of 550°C, 600°C, or 750°C.
  • the ambient temperatures of external electrical circuits and the outer wall 30 of a fuel cell apparatus will typically be in the range of 0°C to about 60°C. Therefore, in this embodiment, a large thermal gradient in excess of 300°C is desirably maintained not only through the thickness of the intervening insulating volume 28, but also along fluidic connections 32, electrical connections 36, and along mechanical supports 38.
  • the insulating volume can incorporate insulation to substantially reduce heat dissipation from the housing.
  • a partial vacuum can be formed, within the insulating volume or a low thermal conductance material can be added to the insulating volume.
  • An infrared radiation shield 40 can also be disposed within or upon the fuel cell apparatus. It is beneficial to maintain the required low level of total gas pressure in the insulating volume when fabricating a low pressure or vacuum insulation embodiment.
  • a non-evaporable getter which can be activated through electrical heating, is useful for this purpose, such as the SAES getters ST 171 device (www.saesgetters.com).
  • the integrated fuel cell contained within a housing can have a total thickness of 2.5 mm.
  • two fuel cell layers 14 and 16, and three routing layers 46, 48, and 50 are present, each with 0.5 mm thickness.
  • Each of the two fuel cell layers is capable of producing 0.4 W/cm 2 of electrical power.
  • the housing which integrates the functions of a fuel reformer, a set of fuel cell membranes, a tail gas burner, and all internal fluid manifolds in one thermal zone, can be fabricated through any number of fabrication techniques.
  • embodiments of the invention can be fabricated using MEMS techniques (micro-electro-mechanical systems) or micromachining techniques.
  • MEMS techniques micro-electro-mechanical systems
  • micromachining techniques Such techniques make it possible to integrate thin film materials (for instance thin film electrolytes, anodes, cathodes and/or electrical connections) along with etched micro channels for control of fluid flow onto a common substrate that is thermally conductive and mechanically robust.
  • Structural support members are included in some embodiments as they are useful for patterning either anodes or cathodes into discrete regions.
  • an integrated housing can be assembled from a group of substantially planar or non-planar semiconductor structures.
  • five silicon substrates can be bonded together to form the "box" that various fuel cell apparatus components are integrated within. Bonding together the five silicon substrates, results in a stacked configuration.
  • the substrates can be stacked as follows: (I) fuel processor substrate including fluidic interconnects; (2) a membrane electrode assembly, (3) a fluid routing layer, (4) another membrane electrode assembly, and (5) a top fluid routing layer including tail gas burner.
  • a stack of layers can form some or all of the integrated fuel cell apparatus.
  • silicon is chosen as the substrate for building the fuel cell membranes and other manifold structures.
  • micromachining techniques also exist for building fluid flow channels in rigid wafers of glass and ceramic, all materials which possess the high temperature strength required for solid oxide fuel cells.
  • a silicon substrate can be coated with layers of silicon oxide or silicon nitride to render it electrically insulating.
  • Etched fluidic microchannels are formed in the above substrates by a variety of techniques, including wet and dry chemical etching, laser ablation, diamond milling, tape casting, or injection molding.
  • a variety of substrate or wafer bonding techniques are available including fusion bonding, anodic bonding, sealing by means of eutectic solder materials or thin films, or sealing by means of glass frits.
  • Fuel cell assemblies including the anode, cathode, and electrolyte can be deposited by a variety of thin and thick film deposition techniques including sputtering, evaporation, chemical vapor deposition, laser ablation, screen-printing, dip coating, or vapor spray techniques.
  • the preferred material for the electrolyte is yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), although a variety of doped ceria materials are also available for this purpose.
  • the preferred material for the anode of the fuel cell is a cermet of nickel and YSZ, although other catalytic metals may be employed such as Pt, Pd, Fe or Co, and other oxide matrix materials can be used such as ceria.
  • the preferred material for the cathode of the fuel cell is lanthanum (strontium) manganate (LSM), although other cathode materials have been described including lanthanaum (strontium) cobaltite (LSC) and lanthanum (strontium) cobalt-ferrite (LSCF).
  • the preferred material for thin film electrical connections in the fuel cell is platinum, although lanthanum chromite has also been described for this application.
  • FIG 2 is a further illustration of the fuel cell apparatus of Figure 1 , emphasizing the arrangement of fluidic connections and a heat recuperator 34.
  • the integrated fuel cell apparatus' housing 18 is shown only in its external aspect, with sub-regions denoting the suggested placement of a fuel reformer 10, and a tail gas burner (or catalytic converter) 12.
  • a mixture of fuel and air enters along an inlet tube 60 directly to the fuel reformer 10. After which, by means of internal routing channels, the reformed fuel passes by the anode of the fuel cell, eventually ending up in the region of the tail gas burner 12.
  • Air for the cathode of the fuel cell enters through an inlet tube 62 and flows internally via a controlled route to the cathode of the fuel cell. Both air and fuel streams are finally re-united in the tail gas burner 12 for extraction of any residual heat of oxidation before exiting the hot zone through an exit tube 64.
  • the inlet and outlet tubes bridge the region between the housing and the cold outer wall and should be designed for low thermal conductivity.
  • these tubes can be composed of silicon nitride, preferably with wall thickness of 5 microns or less, such as are described International Publication No. WO 03/013729 .
  • the tubes can be made from silica glass capillaries.
  • glass capillaries are available with 1 mm outer diameters and wall thicknesses of only 125 microns. The thermal power that will be conducted along such capillaries if they are 5 mm long and span a temperature gradient of 800°C is only 0.05 watts.
  • the heat recuperator 34 is a means for heat recuperation and can be built as an integral part of the fluid tube assembly.
  • the heat recuperator is typically made of a thermally conductive material, such as silicon, such that the heat of the exhaust gases passing through the exit tube 64 can be absorbed and transferred to the incoming gas streams in the inlet tubes 60 and 62.
  • FIG. 1 improved performance is possible by placing the heat recuperator 34 within the insulating volume 28. In this position, the various internal temperatures of the heat recuperator can be maintained intermediate between the temperature of the integrated fuel cell apparatus and the outer wall. Placing the heat recuperator within the existing insulating volume also reduces the overall system size by eliminating separate insulation around the heat recuperator. Further, aligning the thermal gradient of the heat recuperator with the exiting thermal gradient between the integrated fuel cell apparatus and the outer wall decreases the heat loss from the heat recuperator because there is little if any temperature difference between a given section of the heat recuperator and the adjacent insulating volume.
  • a general goal of the invention is to manage the total heat dissipation away from the housing.
  • the heat loss through the tubes can be calculated from the product of a) the thermal conductivity of the tube wall material, b) the temperature drop along the tube, and c) the cross sectional area of the tube wall material, divided by d) the length of the tube.
  • a maximum heat loss allowed through the fluidic tubes is determined to improve system efficiency. That heat loss, Q tubes , is desirably maintained below 0.1 watts per tube, preferably less than 0.05 watts per tube. This heat loss value is significantly below the embodiments known in the art, however, system efficiency improves dramatically when the fluidic connection tubes are constructed with heat loss below this critical value.
  • Table 2 shows examples of typical known tube materials and design and exemplary tubes (embodiments 3 and 4) suitable for use with the present embodiments that are constructed to satisfy the critical heat loss condition. Table 2: Comparison of fluid connection tube materials.
  • the fuel cell apparatus In a 33% efficient, 2 watt fuel cell apparatus generator, the fuel cell apparatus would be expected to burn an equivalent of 6 watts of fuel and a thermal loss of 0.1 watts per tube would represent only 5% of the total power consumed. For larger fuel cell apparatus in the range of 5 to 30 watts either more tubes or tubes with larger cross section may be necessary to handle increased amounts of fluid flow.
  • the thermal loss of each tube below 0.5 watts, and preferably below 0.1 watts, the percentage of thermal loss due to fluid connections can be maintained at or below 10%, and preferably below 5%, of the total power burned as fuel in the device.
  • Another general goal of the invention is to reduce the heat loss represented by solid conduction along electrical connections.
  • the value of heat loss per electrical wire should be less than 0.5 watts, and more preferably less than about 0.1 watts.
  • An electrical loss of 0.1 watts or less per wire, however, requires the use of higher resistance and finer diameter wire connections.
  • Table 3 shows the correlation between wire diameter, wire resistance, and heat loss for known wires and those useful in the invention (embodiments 3 and 4). Note the inverse correlation between wire resistance and thermal power loss along the wire, which is typical for metal conductors.
  • One method for voltage stacking is an in-plane stacking, arrangement, in which fuel cell membranes layers are stacked vertically such that the anode of one cell makes electrical contact with the cathode of the cell directly above it.
  • a 10 volt output requirement for the fuel cell stack would require that twelve to twenty fuel cell membrane layers be assembled in the vertical stack
  • the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 depicts only two membrane layers due to volume efficiency. Nevertheless, an advantageous output voltage is possible using the in-plane stacking concept disclosed herein.
  • Figure 3 illustrates the concept of in-plane stacking.
  • In-plane stacking requires the ability to pattern anodes, cathodes, and electrolytes such that series type voltage connections can be made.
  • in anode 22 of fuel cell electrolyte 23A is allowed electrically to contact a cathode 24 that is disposed behind an adjacent fuel cell electrolyte 23B.
  • An interconnect material 25 allows for a low resistance electrical connection between anode 22 and cathode 24.
  • Structural support members shown in Figure 1 are also useful for patterning either anodes or cathodes into discrete regions.
  • the narrow gauge wires should be attached to both the integrated fuel cell apparatus and the connector strip at the outer wall by means of a high temperature brazing alloy or preferably by bonding methods such as a thermo-mechanical bond.
  • the efficiency of a solid-oxide fuel cell apparatus improves when all the functions of fuel reformer, fuel cell and tail gas burner integrate into a single housing with minimum surface area. Efficiency also improves when the housing is designed with sufficient thermal conductivity to enable an efficient distribution of heat or sharing of thermal energy between components.
  • the tail gas burner can be used to share supplemental heat that improves overall efficiency.
  • the thermal energy generated in the tail gas burner maintains a higher and more efficient operating temperature in the fuel cell apparatus. In this fashion, the thermal stresses and costs associated with heat up or cool down of the device are reduced.
  • Silicon used as a substrate material is an excellent thermal conductor at elevated temperatures.
  • Glass or ceramic substrates are suitable material choices based on thermal conductivity, as long as their resultant wall thicknesses are substantially in excess of 100 microns and preferably in excess of 300 microns.
  • the thermal conductivity of glass substrates is enhanced by the deposition of metallic thin films over areas that are not electrically active, such as the outer surfaces of the housing.
  • thermally conductive metal coatings include chromium, gold, and platinum.
  • the integrated housing such that separate components (fuel reformer, tail gas burner and the fuel cell membranes) share between any pair of them at least one common structural wall.
  • This wall could be an outer wall of the housing or it could be an internal wall formed, for instance through the bonding of individual substrates.
  • the power density of the integrated fuel cell apparatus is a significant design parameter.
  • the power density may be the design parameter that most influences the final efficiency and size of the insulated package.
  • the power density of the integrated fuel cell apparatus expressed in watts per cubic centimeter (W/cc), determines how much surface area is exposed for every watt of electricity produced.
  • W/cc watts per cubic centimeter
  • the influence of integrated fuel cell apparatus electrical power density on final package size is large and disproportionate.
  • an integrated fuel cell apparatus which is capable of producing power at 5 watts and 1 w/cc will require a package size, including insulation, of 66 cc.
  • an integrated fuel cell apparatus rated at 5 watts and 2 w/cc can be insulated inside of a package of only 17.8 cc.
  • Figure 4 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in this case a larger fuel cell apparatus 105 employing four different membrane layers.
  • Each layer whether a fuel cell membrane 114, an air or oxygen routing layer 148, or fuel routing layer 147, 149, 150, is about 0.5 mm or less of thickness, such that the total stack is about 4.8 mm in height.
  • Figure 4 also includes within its housing a fuel reformer 110 and a tail gas burner 112 constructed as part of layer 146.
  • the fuel routing layers carry fuel out of the fuel reformer past their respective fuel cell membranes and/or carry exhaust into the tail gas burner after passing their respective fuel cell membranes.
  • the average spacing between membrane layers defined as the total integrated fuel cell apparatus height (4.8 mm) divided by the number of membrane layers (4) can be calculated.
  • the average membrane spacing of Figure 4 is therefore about 1.2 mm.
  • the power density can be derived by dividing the average power density of each fuel cell layer (0.4 W/cm2) by the average membrane spacing, resulting in a power density of about 3.3 W/cc.
  • Construction of the fuel cells stack to enable greater than about 2 watts of electrical energy per cubic centimeter of integrated fuel cell apparatus volume is preferable. It is also desirable to operate a given fuel cell stack in such a way to produce greater than 2 W/cc.
  • the power produced by a fuel cell can be controlled by varying the voltage, as well as by varying the temperature of the fuel cell. Larger fuel cells are typically operated at voltages above maximum power in order to increase the efficiency of the chemical to electrical energy conversion. Power densities greater than 1 W/cc, 1.5 W/cc, or preferably 2 W/cc, are included in the present invention.
  • the average spacing between membranes in the existing art is in the range of 2.5 to 4 mm, while the average spacing in the invention typically is less than about 1.5 mm, approaching values as small as 1.0 mm.
  • the advantage of closer membrane spacing is derived from two advantageous structural features: a) the use of mechanically robust composite membrane designs, and b) the use of structurally simple flow routing layers that are enabled by the use of in-plane stacking.
  • advantageous use is also made of the architecture of in-plane fuel cell stacking. In-plane fuel cell stacking makes possible a number of structural advantages that together act to reduce the spacing between membranes and increase the power density to values well in excess of 2 W/cc.
  • composite membrane structures make possible the combination of a strong structural support member in combination with thin ( ⁇ 2 ⁇ m) YSZ membrane layers.
  • Such a structure has the strength to withstand the stresses of thermal cycling without the need for excess substrate thickness and can be achieved using silicon wafer thicknesses of about 0.5 mm or thinner.
  • Similar composite structures can be built from dense ceramic substrates, for instance Al 2 O 3 materials, regardless of coefficient of thermal expansion, to the extent that they obey the design rules laid-out in the above-identified patent application.
  • a gas-impermeable bipolar plate is required to separate gas flows between fuel and air.
  • a vertical planar stack requires that electrical contact be made from the anode of one membrane layer to the cathode of the adjacent layer.
  • the fuel that passes over the anode must not be allowed to mingle with the air that flows over the cathode. Therefore an electrically conductive bipolar plate is typically employed which effects not only the electrical connection between layers but also the routing of fuel to the anode, air to the cathode, and a hermetic separation between the gas flows.
  • Figure 5 illustrates one such flow routing layer, having geometry compatible with the four layer fuel cell stack shown in Figure 4 .
  • Openings 180 provide for vertical passage of the fuel from one layer of the stack to layers above or below.
  • Channels 182 provide for the flow of air over the cathode.
  • flow routing layer 148 separates two cathode-facing layers, only a simple ribbed structure is necessary to add both structural rigidity to the stack and provide for sufficient distribution of air over all cathode surfaces.
  • the flow routing layer can be composed of a rigid material such as silicon.
  • Choice of silicon in this embodiment has the further advantage of matching the structural materials between all of the membrane layers and the flow routing layers. In this fashion, one can avoid the stresses associated with differing thermal expansion coefficients between these two structural materials.
  • the flow routing layer can be machined or stamped from a metallic material.
  • the coefficient of thermal expansion of the flow routing layer must remain substantially similar to that of the structural material in the membrane layer.
  • Thin metallic flow routing layers will not be as rigid as a routing layer built from silicon, but the silicon or other ceramic material employed for the membrane layer will provide more than enough rigidity and provide sufficient strength to the overall stack to withstand the stresses of thermal cycling.
  • Design of the insulation volume in the solid-oxide fuel cell system is another area for improving solid-oxide fuel cell efficiency.
  • Fibrous or micro-porous ceramics have been utilized for the function of isolating the high temperature housing from the outer package and its environs while minimizing the amount of waste heat that is lost by conduction through the insulation.
  • Aerogel materials are available, for instance, which possess low thermal conductivities and are stable for operation at 800°C as low as 0.04 W/m-K.
  • a vacuum insulation allows portions of the fuel cell apparatus to function as a thermos bottle with the outer walls and insulating volume maintaining the contents integrated within the housing at a desired temperature.
  • total gas pressures in the insulating volume of less than 13,3 Pa (100 mtorr.), preferably less than 2,67 Pa (20 mtorr.), more preferably less 1,33 Pa (10 mtorr.)
  • a partial vacuum may be formed within the insulating volume bounded by the outer wall by evacuation with a vacuum pump, through an outgassing port, or alternatively, by performing the process of sealing-together the elements of the outer wall within an evacuated atmosphere.
  • a reflective coating is applied to the outer surfaces of the integrated fuel cell apparatus, reducing thereby the infrared emissivity and power loss from the hot surface.
  • a radiation reflector 40 can be provided along the inner surfaces of the vacuum outer wall 30 for the purposes of returning infrared radiation back to the integrated fuel cell apparatus.
  • This radiation reflector can be constructed by means of a metallic coating which is deposited on the inner surfaces of the outer wall 30, or by means of a metallic or infrared reflective material which is mechanically attached to the inner surfaces of the vacuum wall.
  • a series of parallel infrared reflectors can be provided between the hot surface of and the cold surface of the outer wall.

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  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Sustainable Energy (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Electrochemistry (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Fuel Cell (AREA)

Claims (11)

  1. Vorrichtung (5), umfassend ein Gehäuse (18), wobei das Gehäuse Folgendes integriert:
    eine Brennstoffzelle (14, 16); und
    einen Restgasbrenner (12) in thermischer Verbindung mit der Brennstoffzelle (14, 16),
    ein Isoliervolumen (28), das benachbart zu einem Äußeren des Gehäuses (18) angeordnet ist;
    eine äußere Wand (30), die das Gehäuse (18) und das Isoliervolumen (28) umgibt, wobei das Gehäuse (18) einen im Wesentlichen isothermen Bereich definiert;
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Vorrichtung weiter Folgendes umfasst:
    ein Fluidverbindungselement mit geringer thermischer Leitfähigkeit, das in Fluidverbindung mit dem Restgasbrenner (12) steht und in dem Isoliervolumen (28) zwischen dem Restgasbrenner (12) und der äußeren Wand (30) angeordnet ist, wobei das Fluidverbindungselement mit geringer thermischer Leitfähigkeit eine der Folgenden umfasst: eine mikrobearbeitete Fluidleitungsröhre, eine konzentrische Röhre oder eine Glaskapillarröhre.
  2. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, wobei das Gehäuse (18) einen Brennstoff-Reformer (10) integriert und der Brennstoff-Reformer in thermischer Verbindung mit der Brennstoffzelle (14, 16) steht.
  3. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, wobei die Brennstoffzelle (14, 16), ein Brennstoff-Reformer (10) und der Restgasbrenner (12) in dem Gehäuse integriert sind und bei der selben Temperatur arbeiten, wodurch eine elektrische Leistungsdichte für die Vorrichtung erzeugt wird, die größer als oder gleich ungefähr 2 W/cm3 ist.
  4. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, wobei es sich bei der Brennstoffzelle (14, 16) um eine Festoxid-Brennstoffzelle handelt.
  5. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 4, wobei die Festoxid-Brennstoffzelle (14, 16) eine Membranschicht mit einer Dicke von weniger als oder gleich ungefähr 500 µm umfasst.
  6. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 5, wobei die Festoxid-Brennstoffzelle (14, 16) mehrere eine Ebene definierende Brennstoffzellen umfasst, wodurch ein Brennstoffzellenstapel in der Ebene erzeugt wird.
  7. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 6, wobei das Gehäuse (18) zwei Brennstoffzellenstapel in der Ebene umfasst, die im Wesentlichen parallel sind.
  8. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, weiter umfassend ein elektrisches Element mit geringer thermischer Leitfähigkeit in elektrischer Verbindung mit der Brennstoffzelle (14, 16), wobei das elektrische Element mit geringer thermischer Leitfähigkeit einen Durchmesser von weniger als oder gleich ungefähr 50 µm aufweist.
  9. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, wobei das Isoliervolumen einen Unterdruck, einen Isolierschaumstoff, einen Thermoreflektor oder Kombinationen davon umfasst.
  10. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, weiter umfassend einen Wärmerekuperator in thermischer Verbindung mit dem Restgasbrenner (12).
  11. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 10, wobei sich der Wärmerekuperator in dem Isoliervolumen befindet.
EP06758699.0A 2005-04-27 2006-04-27 Kompakte festoxidbrennstoffzellenvorrichtung Not-in-force EP1886369B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

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US11/115,980 US7947407B2 (en) 2005-04-27 2005-04-27 Fuel cell apparatus having a small package size
PCT/US2006/016108 WO2006116638A2 (en) 2005-04-27 2006-04-27 Compact solid oxide fuel cell apparatus

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EP1886369B1 true EP1886369B1 (de) 2013-07-10

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CA (1) CA2606957A1 (de)
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MX2007013484A (es) 2008-01-21
WO2006116638A2 (en) 2006-11-02
US20060246333A1 (en) 2006-11-02
US7947407B2 (en) 2011-05-24
WO2006116638A3 (en) 2007-05-24
CN101194386A (zh) 2008-06-04
EP1886369A2 (de) 2008-02-13
ES2430320T3 (es) 2013-11-20
CN101194386B (zh) 2011-11-23
KR20080017312A (ko) 2008-02-26
JP2008539560A (ja) 2008-11-13
CA2606957A1 (en) 2006-11-02

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